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Contact Information

Education

MD - Grant Medical College, J.J. Group of Hospitals, Bombay, India

Clinical Interests

My current clinical research interests focus on innovative protocols for the treatment of childhood brain tumors, with a focus on medulloblastomas, PNET and Rhabdoid tumors (ATRT). We just completed a large study (SJMB 96) in which 162 patients were treated. We used a strategy of risk-adapted radiation therapy followed by four cycles of high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support. We achieved very good results with this approach. Our current study (SJMB 03) opened in September 2003. In this study we are doing extensive biological studies on the tumor tissue so that we can better understand what makes a normal brain cell turn into a tumor cell. We anticipate that this information will help us find new therapies to treat high-risk tumors and allow us to safely reduce therapy in patients that we determine are low-risk patients.

In addition to the biological studies on our SJMB 03 protocol, for the first time ever we are using a neurocognitive rehabilitation strategy to help children preserve their reading skills. This is the first study to prospectively ascertain if such intervention does indeed help children. Additionally, we are doing extensive imaging studies and detailed neuropsychological examinations to better understand the nature of the cognitive deficits so we can devise better strategies to help our children.

Research Interests

I am working with investigators in basic science laboratories to develop new chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of brain tumors. Collaborative studies seek to unravel the mechanisms by which key anticancer drugs work so we can use them more efficiently.